Letters

The Best You Could Do?

It has been a while since I responded to Press reader and my new pen pal Ed Surgan. I hope the two or three readers who look forward to my rants were not too disappointed.

Regarding Mr. Surgan’s assertion that Rush Limbaugh is “an acquired taste” [“My Reasoned Voice,” Letters, March 5], I can only once again urge readers to google “Rush Limbaugh’s Greatest Hits” and listen to some of his clips. Hopefully, they will be as disgusted with his hateful speech as I was.

Mr. Surgan writes that Democrats are advocating for “unrestricted, unregulated immigration.” This is false. While there are some whackadoodles in the party who would push for this, no mainstream candidate has ever advocated for unregulated immigration.

But the fact is that with America’s historically low birthrate, we need immigrants more than ever. Mick Mulvaney, President Trump’s former acting chief of staff, has been quoted as saying as much. We need comprehensive immigration reform now.

Regarding Mr. Surgan’s assertion that Democrats are “guilty of the politics of personal destruction,” he does not, as with most of his complaints, offer any concrete examples. And isn’t it somewhat hypocritical to complain about nastiness in politics while supporting a president who calls the governor of a state “a snake” during a national crisis?

In another paragraph, Mr. Surgan asserts that Democratic policies need to be more mainstream. However, most of the positions held by the Democratic Party are extremely popular with voters: a livable minimum wage, protection for persons with pre-existing medical conditions, and the recognition of the necessity of doing something about climate change all receive widespread support in polls.

I have to agree with Mr. Surgan on one issue. And that is his assertion that Democrats “don’t accept the how and why Trump is still so popular.” He is right. I and most progressives cannot fathom how anyone can support this president. Yes, we get it. You wanted someone to shake up Washington and own the libs. But is Trump the best you could do?

He said he was going to “clean the swamp.” But the vast majority of his appointees have been Wall Street insiders or corporate lobbyists. His education secretary has sided with the hucksters at for-profit colleges who have defrauded thousands of veterans. His appointees have loosened rules meant to rein in the vultures known as payday lenders who prey on our military members and other financially vulnerable Americans.

And then there is the lying. Mr. Trump and his representatives have lied repeatedly about the seriousness of the present pandemic. There is video to prove it.

Yes, we do wonder how anyone can support this man.

John Neely

Westhampton Beach

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